Dispensing spool for surgical thread



Patented May l, 1951 DISPENSING SPOOL FOR SURGICAL THREAD Donald S. Jurnove and Samuel Hammer, New York, N. Y.

Application June 1, 1948, Serial No. 30,356

.i v'I'his invention relates to spools for use in conf nection with ligatures or thread used for suturing.

I t is a fact well known` to practicing surgeons that spools for surgical thread now available for` use, are unsatisfactory for several reasons, the

principal reason being that they are so diicult to manipulate under the pressure and tension of a surgical operation. Very frequently, fumbling vtakes place with a consequent loss of valuable time, and indeed not infrequently does the sur- 4 claims; (Cl.l 242-138) Preferred embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

geon drop the'spool and the thread, and thus contaminate it. Hence, it is customary to have several ligature spools handy for each operation so that in the event that any one or more of such spools should become unsterile, there would be others available to take their place without in- .terruptionof the surgical operation.

The present invention is designed to eliminate these diiiiculties and inadequacies which are inherent in conventional surgical-thread spools. In the present device, a positive quick-acting release is provided to enable the surgical thread to` be removed from the spool with the greatest of ease and speed. In the present invention there is also a quick-acting locking mechanism which instantaneously locks the spool to prevent further issuance of the thread therefrom. f

It is accordingly the principal object of this in vention to provide a surgical thread spool which has an extremely quick-acting release mechanism and anequally quick-acting locking mechanism for controlling the issuance of the thread or ligature from the spool. Another principal object of this invention which is corollary thereto is the provision of a ligature spool of the character described whose quick-acting release and locking mechanisms are instantly available to the surgeon for immediate .and effortless use.

Still another object of this invention is the probe released for use by simply applying a squeez-` ing force upon the device and wherein the thread may be locked against further issuance therefrom ,by simply releasing the spool from such squeezin action. I

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a spool as described, which is comprised of exceedingly few, simple parts which may very readily be made at relatively low cost.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a spool as described, which may very easily be sterilized in conventional sterilizing ap-v paratus, the thread being itself sufficiently exposed to be sterilized at the same time and by the same means as the spool itself is sterilized.

Other Vobjects of the invention include theprovision of a spool as described, which may be rewound with surgical thread after its original sup- Plrthexepf, is exhausted.` .g

Fig. 1 is a side view of the first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section therethrough; showing the spool in lockedposition.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3, showing the spool in unlocked position.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View showing a modification of this invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View of a further embodiment of this invention.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of still another emy bodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the first four figures of the drawing, it will be noted that a spool or reel I0 is mounted in spool holder II, as is a releasing and closure disc I2. 'I'he cross-sectional views of the spool show that it should preferably be made of a single piece of material such as die cast metal. It has a hollow hub I3 which is provided with holes I4. Its spaced, substantially circular vision of a spool in which the surgical thread may v flanges I 5 are also provided with holes I6. These several holes have a definite function, namely, that of allowing a sterilizing medium to enter into contact with the thread I 'I which may be wound thereon. In other words, when the spool and spool-holder as a whole are put into a sterilizing apparatus, the object is not to sterilize the spool alone, but also the thread which the spool carries. Wereit not for holes I4 and I 6, the sterilizing agent might not be able to reach some of the innerV windings of the thread. With these holes an excellent job may be done to sterilize both the spool and its suturing thread.

rIhe spool should also preferably be a one-piece affair. It may be of metal, the same as is the spool itself. The spoolholder is provided with a iloor or base portion 20 and with a plurality of uprights or arms 2l. These arms are not perfectly rigid members but instead are somewhat resilient and springy. They may be spread apart and then when released, they will spring back to their original positions. In Fig. 4, arms are shown in extended or sprung position. It will be noted that when the arms are held in sprung position, they are out of engagement with the upper ange of spool I0. The spool is thus free to rotate. In Fig. 3, the arms are shown in released condition, and it will be noted that they serve as a brake and engage at least one of the two flanges of the spool. The arms are still in a slightly sprung condition to enable them to bear sufficiently hard against the spool flange to prevent the spool from rotating.

The means by which arms 2 I may be moved out of clamping engagement with the spool flange is the combination release and closure disc member I2 previously mentioned.` This member ,is substantially discrshapedgfand isheld in ,place above the spool by means of grooves or notches 22 formed at the top freeends of arms, 2|. Onel of the walls forming each of said groovesornotches 22 slopes inwardly and downwardly to form a cam face which engages the rounded peripheral edge of the disc-shaped member I2. When the disc member I2 is pressed downwardly in the di.

rection of the arrow shown in Fig. 4, the engagement of its peripheral edge with the cam faces which grooves 22 form, causes an outward spreading movement of arms 2| into sprung con- `is provided, however, between said release member 43 and a locking spring member 45, carried within said spool holder and extending into the dition. As has already been indicated, when the I i arms are sprung outwardly, they disengagethe' upper flange of the spool, the lower flange being vfree of the arms, thereby freeing the spool for rotary movement when it is desired tov remove some of the surgical thread therefrom. When the disc-shaped member I2 is released, the arms 2| spring back to the position which they are shown to occupy in Fig. 3 and their respective cam faces are thereby caused to act upon the disc-shaped member and to push it upwardly into its non-active position which is shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 5, a spool substantially similar to spool Ill is shown mounted in a modified spool holder 3 I, which is generally similar to holder I l. However, in this form, the spring arms are so constructed as to prevent removal of the spool I0 from the holder 3|, and thus prevent substitution of the spool by another spool; the idea being that the spool and holder must remain intact, either to be discarded when the spool is emptied of thread, or have new thread replaced on the spool. To that end, it will be noted that vthe base of the holder 3| is provided with a centrally-located aperturev 32 which is aligned with lthe bore that extends through the hub of spool 3l). A crank handle 33 (shown in dot and dash lines in the drawing) may be inserted into the hub of the spool through the aperture in the hoor of the spool holder 3|. A relatively tight iit should be provided between the entering end of the crank handle and the hub of the spool to enable the crank handle to rotate the spool when the handle is itself worked. Rotation in one direction will, of course, wind the thread upon the spool, after which the crank handle 33 may be removed.

To provide against removal of the spool from the spool holder, stop members 34 be formed on the inner sides of the arms of vthe holder. These stop members may be beveled at their upper surfaces to enable spool to spread the arms lil-la to pass them when it is being slipoed'into the spool polder. The under surfaces of the stoo members 3d should be non-beveled to prevent the spool from camming or wedging them out of the way for removal of the spool from the spool holder.

Another embodiment of this invention, as shown in Fig. 6, is provided with a spool d carried within a spool holder 4|. There is no substantial difference between spool lil and spool Il) first above described. Spool holder 'l looks Quite different from holder I I above described, but they possess major features in common. Holder 4|, like holder II, has a floor and it also has a side wall or walls which conline the spool in much the same manner as do the arms 2| of holder II. Side wall 42 of holder 4I is shown to be continuous, but it will be understood that it may also be made non-continuous in the sense that arms 2l are not. continuous with each other.

Holder 4| is not, however, provided with'cam faces' similar to those whichA are formed' 'in Lio hub of the spool. vrelease member yi3 is an annular flange 43 whose Extending downwardly from inner wall is beveled downwardly and outwardly. It is this beveled wall which serves as a cam and which engages the spring members 45 to compress them` when it is desired to free the spool for rotation.

,It will be observed in Fig. 6 that the Spring -member 45 rests upon the floor of the spool' holder to which'it may be Yfixedly connected, It has a centrally-extending, upwardly-projecting portio-n which enters the hub of the spool. VThis upwardlyextending portion may comprise a plurality of fingers roughly corresponding to the arms of the first embodiment herein described. These fingers are made of spring metal, but whereas arms 2| tend to spring inwardly when released, these fingers tend to spring outwardly. When these iingers spring outwardly, they engage the inside wall of the spool hub and thereby lock the spool against rotation. It will be noted that the cam-shaped flange 45 engages the outer surfaces of fingers 45 at their upper, free ends. When the disc 43 is pushed downwardly, its camfaced ange acts upon lingers' 25 and presses them inwardly toward each other. They are thereby forced to disengage the hub of the spool which is thereby released for rotary movement.

To lock the spool against rotation, the disc 43 is simply released and the Springmembers 45 wedge said disc member upwardly and out of the way, and engage the hub of the spool to prevent rotation thereof. It will be noted that an inwardly-extending bead or ange Q2u is provided at the top end of wall 42 and serves as a stop member for the upwardly moving disc member 33, thus retaining it in the holder It will be noted that there is identity of prin ciple of operation between the first two embodiments of the invention herein described. In both cases, spring members engage the spool to prevent it from rotating, and in both cases, a cam is used to engage the spring members and to move them out of clamping contact with the spool. A further embodiment of this invention is shown in Fig. '7, and is also provided with a spool 5D and a spool holder 5|. Again there is no great difference between spool 5i) on the one hand and spools I, 3S and 40 on the other hand. The holder 5|, however, is comprised of two cupshaped members 52 and 53. It will be noted that the cover overlaps the lower member slightly, where they meet, and a snug or friction fit is provided between the 'two members to hold them together; The holder is made in two parts to simplify the operation of inserting a spool therein or removing it therefrom. However, if desired, the two parts may be soldered or otherwise united, to avoid re-use of the holder. A release member 55 which resembles a push button having an elongated stem 5l connected thereto extends through a hole in the cover'53 into the hub of spool 50. A coil spring 5S is mounted on the stem 51 of said release member 55 and is'aixed t'o'said stem at its lower end, At' its 4upper end, the springi's afiized to the cover 53 of the vspoel holder. It will be understood 'thatthiscoi'l spring becomes smaller in diameter as it increases in length, that is, when the spring is caused to eX- pand its coils, grow smaller in diameter. Hence, when a downward force is applied to the release member 55, thereby causing downward extension of spring 56, the diameter of said spring will become smaller. It will be seen in Fig. 7, that before this downward movement of the release member begins, the spring is sufliciently large in diameter to engage the hub of the spool and thereby prevent the spool from rotating. When the release member is moved downwardly, the diameter of the spring is reduced suiciently to remove it from contact with the spool hub, thereby freeing the spool for rotation' It will be appreciated that the embodiments hereinabove described are illustrative in character rather than limitative. Their construction may be modied in many respects without passing beyond the limits of the scope of the invention. In principle, however, it is important that a spring member be provided to engage the spool to prevent rotation thereof, and a release also be provided to disengage the spring from the spool to free the spool for rotation.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: i

1. A spool for surgical thread comprising a base, a spool mounted on said base, spring members extending upwardly from said base to encompass the spool and engage a ange thereof to hold the spool in place on said base and also to prevent rotation thereof, and a release member confined between said spring members forvdisengaging said spring members from the spool Vto free the spool for rotation.

2. A spool for surgical thread comprising a base, a spool mounted for rotation on said base, a plurality of spring members on said base surrounding said spool and clamping it in place on said base, and a wedging member engageable with said spring members to wedge them out of clamping action with the spool to free the spool for rotation on said base.

3. A spool for surgical thread comprising a base, a spool mounted for rotary movement on said base, spring members extending perpendicularly from said base surrounding and engaging said spool to prevent rotation thereof, and cam means to cam said spring members out of clamping engagement with the spool to free the spool for rotary movement.

fi. A spool for surgical thread comprising a base, a spool mounted on said base for rotary movement thereon, a plurality of relatively springy side members connected to said base, and surrounding said spool, said side members being normally in tensioned engagement with said spool to prevent rotation thereof, cam faces formed on the insides of said side members, and a substantially disc-shaped member supported by said side members and engageable with the cam faces on said side members whereby the side members may be cammed out of clamping engagement with the spool to free the spool for rotary movement.

DONALD S. JURNOVE. SAMUEL HAMMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 623,493 TiVy Apr. 18, 1899 1,024,384 Wilkinson Apr. 23, 1912 1,826,465 Gilman Oct. 6, 1931 2,393,911 Karle Jan. 29, 1946 2,398,805 Pomeroy Apr. 23, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 587,276 Germany Nov. 1, 1933 855,420 France Feb. 12, 1940 

